Istileulova Yelena,
IPF Fellow 2003

Gender Inequalities at the level of SMEs in Kazakhstan
Interim Report
(March to August, 2003)
Activities:
I. Monthly activities. Publications and Participation in the following conferences and seminars.
1. February 26, 2003. Participation in 1 day-seminar on Gender issues in Almaty organised by Carana/EdNet
2. March 1 -12, 2003. IPF Seminar, 2 weeks. Review of the literature on Policy Analysis and Public Policy Paper, Budapest Attendance of the Central European University's Library on data collection.
3. April 2-3, 2003. International Conference Expanding Access to Micro-finance in Central Asia. (Invitation by the World Bank Group), Almaty. Support to the expansion of micro-finance activities in the Central Asian republics.
4. April 28-30, 2003. UN Bureau "Gender in Development". UNDP, UNFPA Training Seminar "Gender Statistics", Almaty.
5. June 1-9, 2003. Participation in June IPF Seminar, Budapest.
6. June 9-12, 2003. The First International Conference ASIM on Statistics. Presentation made and Paper published on the following theme: Proposals for the New Measurement for Unemployment and Poverty Indicators in Kazakhstan.
7. June 20, 2003. The First Republican Scientific-Practical Conference "Peculiarities of Middle-class Formation in Kazakhstan" AGU Conference, Almaty. Presentation at the Plenary Session and Publication on the theme: Gender Peculiarities of Perception and Understanding of the Middle Class.
8. August 11, 2003. Accepted for the 1-year Distance Learning Course (from September, 1 to June, 2004) on "Introduction to Gender Studies" organised by Kharkov Center for Gender Studies
9. Paper accepted for October 2-5, 2003 Harvard University, Boston CESS (the Central Eurasian Studies Society) Annual Conference. Organiser of Gender Panel from Kazakhstan. Paper's title: "Gender Trends in the Labor Market of Kazakhstan" (jointly with the Center for Gender Studies)
10. Paper accepted for October 17-18, The 2003 Middle East and Central Asia Conference at the University of Utah, Paper accepted with the title: "What is a Middle Class in Kazakhstan from Gender Prospectives".
11. Abstract sent on August 15, 2003 - Abstract How Kazakhstan is Different in Gender Inequalities from the Rest of the World" sent for the Workshop/CFP, Austria. Feminism, Gender and Women's Movement. Vienna Call for Papers Feminism, Gender and Women's Movement from 19th to 20th centuries within the six Central Asian post-Communist Countries.
12. August, 2003 Syllabus prepared for UIB (University of International Business) for the new requested subject: Policy Analysis and Research.
13. August, 2003 (deadline) Preparing paper which role gender and other social issues play in multi-cultural and bilingual Kazakhstan's transformation. Conference The Modern Kazakhstan: Between East and West, October 30, 2003, University of Toronto, Canada
14. Currently preparing contribution (Article with the length 3,000-5,000 words) for a book on the Chapter "Flowerings of modernity in terms of a greater awareness of and a need to tackle gender inequalities". Call for Contributions for Book Transformations and Interventions: Critical Perspectives on economy and culture in post-socialist societies" for the International Sociology Conference in Bishkek, 17-21. June, 2003. Deadline: October 1, 2003

II. Literature review on gender aspects in labor markets (in small businesses).
A wide variety of sources related to Gender issues in the Labor markets have been observed:
" Books
" Journals (local, national and international)
" Reports of ILO, WB, UNIFEM, etc.
" Popular media ( the daily and weekly newspapers, magazines,)
" Computer-based materials, web-sites
" Instruction manuals
" Primary sources
" Secondary and Tertiary sources periodicals,
" Internal Reports. (Confederation of Trade Unions)
III. Selection of methods and Resources for research
Out of the methods available for designing, carrying out and analyzing the results of research I selected two approaches to design my research project:
- Case studies
- Surveys
In terms of research techniques I the following techniques for collecting data:
- Documents
- Interviews
- Observation
- Questionnaire
2 types of Questionnaires have been developed: one is for the top-managers of the private businesses and the second one for the employees working for the private companies.
At the current stage the Questionnaire sent to the companies and the preliminary results are being collected.
IV. Discussions with Mentors - meetings with the local Mentor, Muhamedjanova Larisa take place on a regular basis in the connection with the ongoing Survey and the planning Presentation at Harvard University. The other mentors are planning to be involved into more active work from September, 2003
V. Preparation for the Presentation at Harvard University, October 2-5, 2003. The trip to Geneva according to the preliminary Budget has been rescheduled to Harvard University CESS Conference. I am the Chair of Gender Panel from Kazakhstan and have 4 other participants in my Panel. The presentation will be made on the results of my current Survey on Gender Trends in Small businesses.

According to the original Timetable, 2003 I was planning to do the following:

March - April: Gathering data and sources - done
Research trip to ILO, Geneva to make the literature review (it has been modified: replaced with the planning trip to the CESS Harvard University's Conference where I present my paper on Gender Trends in the Labor Market of Kazakhstan) - paper is approved and the invitation is received (in the quality of Chair of Gender Panel from Kazakhstan)
May - June: Comparative analysis of Kazahstan and other countries and review of the literature on gender inequalities - done
July: Preparing database of small and medium size enterprises and Questionnaire - done
August -October: Data evaluation and analysis - doing currently